Labelling machine

ABSTRACT

A machine for dispensing adhesive labels from a carrier strip has supply and collector reels, a pivotable rocker arm carrying an application roller, and an adjacent guide member disposed between the reels and the roller so that labels on the strip are peeled therefrom by movement of the strip around the guide member. The rocker arm moves in one direction for dispensing a label and drawing a new label from the supply reel, and in the other direction for driving the collector reel by a connecting rod and unidirectional clutch.

United States Patent 11 1 Thomas Feb. 19, 1974 LABELLING MACHINE [75] Inventor: James Ernest Thomas, Eastwood,

England [7 3] Assignee: Pricemaster Limited, Dagenham, Essex, England 22 Filed: July 8,1971

21 Appl. No.: 160,850

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 9, 1970 Great Britain 33436/70 [52] US. Cl 156/361, 156/542, 156/566, 156/584, 156/DIG. 25, l56/DIG. 33,

l56/DIG. 45

[51] Int. Cl B65c 9/18, B65c 9/36, B65c 9/42 [58] Field of Search 156/541, 584, 566, DIG. 33, l56/DIG. 45, DIG. 25, 361, 542

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,436,294 4/1969 Marano 156/542 X 3,271,227 9/1966 Jaeckel 156/541 UX 3,308,002 3/1967 I-Iurwich et al. 156/584 X 3,169,895 2/1965 Sohn 156/584 UX 3,231,446 1/1966 Satas 156/584 X 3,321,105 5/1967 Marano 156/584 X 3,461,018 8/1969 Magashima 156/584 X 3,551,262 12/1970 Kelly 156/584 3,075,680 lll963 Bolinder et al. 156/541 X 1226,226 6/1967 Flood l56/DIG. 33 3,635,779 1/1972 Cooper 156/361 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,086,261 10/1967 Great Britain l56/DIG. 45

Primary Examiner-Alfred L. Leavitt Assistant ExaminerThomas E. Bokan Attorney, Agent, or FirmAllison C. Collard [5 7 ABSTRACT A machine for dispensing adhesive labels from a carrier strip has supply and collector reels, a pivotable rocker arm carrying an application roller, and an adjacent guide member disposed between the reels and the roller so that labels on the strip are peeled therefrom by movement of the strip around the guide member. The rocker arm moves in one direction for dispensing a label and drawing a new label from the supply reel, and in the other direction for driving the collector reel by a connecting rod and unidirectional clutch.

6 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure LABELLING MACHINE This invention relates to a labelling machine. Whilst it is primarily intended to be mechanically operated so as automatically to apply labels to articles which are in series on a conveyor, it is easily adapted for use as a hand-held manually-operated machine. The machine is intended for the application of adhesive labels which are stored on a paper (or like) strip, to articles to be labelled', but the function is not necessarily that of labelling in the sense of marking or identifying it may also have the purpose of sealing two surfaces, such as the overlapping surfaces of carton flaps, or wrappings. The invention may be elaborated to include or be combined with printing, such as date-printing, so that the result may be a label which identifies, seals, and dates, a package.

The invention will for convenience be considered basically as if it were a machine to be mounted as an accessory to a conveyor, in which case the articles move past the machine and cause it to operate. It is, however, to be realised that it is relative movement which is primarily concerned, so that the articles may be stationary and the machine be moved, either mechanically or by hand.

It is to be understood that the label-bearing strip to be used in the machine has its labels arranged at a fixed pitch length in a series along the strip. Moreover, the quality of the adhesion is such that should the strip be led into an arc with the labels on the outside of the arc, the labels on being led into the arc will peel off from the strip if the radius of the arc is sufficiently small, the stiffness of the labels exceeding the adhesion of the labels to the strip.

The invention resides primarily in the provision of a labelling machine comprising a supporting plate; a supply reel, rotatably mounted on the plate for supporting an elongated strip having a plurality of pressuresensitive adhesive labels attached to one side thereof which are peelable away from the strip by bending the strip away from the label; a collector reel rotatably mounted on the plate, and including a uni-directional clutch for driving the reel; a rocker arm pivotably mounted on the plate and moveable towards and away from the collector reel, and including a guide member and an application roller at one end thereof for defining a travel path for the strip between the reels and applying a label removed therefrom to an object, the path defined between the reels being variable in length by movement of the rocker arm, movement of the arm away from the edge of the supporting plate lengthening the path and causing a label to be peeled from the strip as it moves past the guide member and positions itself adjacent the application roller; a spring acting on the rocker arm for biasing the arm towards the edge of the supporting plate; and a connecting rod coupled to the clutch of the collector reel for translating movement of the rocker arm to movement of the clutch so that the strip is moved in successive increments between said supply reel and said collector reel for dispensing labels therefrom.

The arm preferably carries a rubber article applicator roller, or a smooth surface such as a plate or plough, to press the label just released from the strip adherently on to the article. Such applicator may if required print on the label a cypher such as the date, then being a type roller with an inking roller bearing on it; or if the label be in the nature of a decalcomania transfer, the applicator may be kept damp or wet to cause the decalcomania to set on the article.

Preferably, there is provided at a convenient location between the supply reel and the applicator a pawl-like checking element which engages the strip between the labels carried on the strip, but only when the arm has swung through a predetermined working stroke. This element provides a register device which ensures that when the arm in its swing elongates the loop or bight of strip, the strip does not snatch off the supply reel, and that the labels are therefore peeled off, one at a time, in the proper phase relationship to the passage of the articles to be labelled. Such device is preferably a simple mechanical pawl pivotally mounted on and resiliently biassed by a spring acting between the pawl and the swinging arm, but other strip-checking means may be used. Also, the on-reel is preferably rotated step by step, each step being the pitch-distance of the labels, by means of a connecting rod extending from the arm to a driving member of the clutch or freewheel device on the on-reel.

It is an advantage of the machine that, providing it is so set or designed as to operate by the arm being swung through a working stroke by the article itself, it is free to be moved beyond such stroke; thus articles of uneven height on the conveyor, do not upset the action.

Whilst that part of the arm which is moved by contact with the article may return to the level of the conveyor itself, it suffices that it is rocked through the selected minimum stroke by successive articles. Thus for example, loaves of bread on a conveyor may be conveyed in a series one behind the next and actually in contact, their upper contour will present a series of crests and gaps of sufficient height-difference to ensure full-stroke rocking of the arm and therefore full operation of the machine.

A machine according to the invention preferably has a highly adaptable means of attaching it to the structure of a conveyor so that a standardised machine can be attached as an ancillary to different types of conveyor.

An example of machine according to the invention will now be particularly described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which:

The body of the machine consists of a somewhat triangular plate l,'which supports on a pin 2, a supply reel 3 on which is carried a reel of paper strip or tape 4 with regular spaced adhesive labels stuck on to the paper by an adhesive of moderate release quality. The labels may be stuck on to the tape only by one or more margins. In the example it is assumed that they are substantially rectangular paper labels of about 2.4 by 1.2 cms, on tape of about 2.7 cms width, the labels being spaced between their longer edges by about 0.2 cms. The reeling on the reel 3 is such that the labels are on the inner surface of the tape and therefore on the upper surface of the tape in the illustration, indicated by the reference 4A, One label is shown at 4B, in the act of peeling off the paper tape when the latter runs over a guide, conveniently a small-diameter roller 5 (say 0.15 cms) or stud.

From the reel 3, the tape is guided by an idle roller 6 to a second idle roller 7 of relatively fairly large diameter (say, 1.2 cms), i.e. sufficiently large so that labels will not tend to peel off, then through over roller 5 back to a further idle roller 8 to a pick-up or onwinding collector reel 9, pin-supported at 10 by the plate 1. The reel 9 has a built-in free-wheel unidirectional clutch, of which the reaction is taken by a side disc having a radially extending lug 12 which can rock on the axis of pin 10 and which operates to rotate the reel 9 through a certain angle when rocked by the pushing of a connecting rod 13, the reel aligned remaining stationary when the lug l2 and rod 13 return; the winding sense of direction of reel 9 is shown by its arrow, and the clutch of the free-wheel is of frictional type to allow for the build-up of diameter of tape picked up.

The whole structure being carried by plate 1, the latter is in turn carried pivotally by the pin 2 and a bracket member 14. The bracket member is of any convenient shape, complexity of design to enable it to be attached to the structure of a conveyor; or the bracket may be replaced by a hand-grip should it be required to use the machine manually.

The plate 1 and member 14 are interattached by a tension spring 15 tending to load the whole assembly downwards (in the drawing) i.e. clockwise about pin 2.

Pivotted on the plate 1 at 16 is a boom or arm 17; this carries the roller 5. The arm 17 is loaded by a tension spring 18 clockwise about its pivot at 16. At its end i.e. beyond roller 5, it carries a freely rotatable rubber applicator roller 19. If the articles to be labelled are soft or sensitive to localised pressure the roller 19 may be extended in length to provide more bearing area against the articles; this may, for example, be the case if the articles are (e.g.) punnets or packages of soft fruit. The rod 13 is pivotted to the arm 17. The distances between certain centres are critical, because the machine acts as follows.

In the rest position drawn, the loop or bight of tape 4, between rollers 7 and 8, is defined by the distance of the roller 5. Now, if the arm 17 be rocked (anticlockwise) about pin 16, the distance between rollers 5 and 8 will increase; it is in fact arranged that in a full operative stroke of arm 17, the length of tape in the loop is increased by the pitch of one label, and this length passes around roller 5, the diameter of which is so small that a label 48 peels off the tape, being insufficiently adherent to follow the small-diameter curvature of the tape. The label (as at 4B) intrudes between the roller 19 and the article to be labelled, and is pressed by 19 so as to stick to the article.

The arm 17 is swung anticlockwise by the article itself. Depending on the nature of the article the arm may be provided with a pressure plate, sledge-like guide, or another roller or rollers, such that as an article comes from left to right it raises the end of the arm, so that the foregoing action occurs. When the article has passed the spring 18 restores the arm, and the rod 13 turns the reel 9 so as to pick up one pitch length of tape.

The foregoing describes the bare essentials, but one additional feature is preferably provided. Extending between rollers 6 and 7 and beneath the tape, is provided a surface, conveniently a strip guide plate 20, over which the tape 4 moves, from 6 to 7. Above this is provided a pawl 21, rockable on the same pivot axis at 16 as the arm 17 is urged relatively to the arm 17 by a spring 22 so that its nose (21A) is urged towards the plate to engage the tape 4 between labels and press the tape resiliently against the plate 20, but only when the arm 17 has swung counterclockwise through its predetermined working stroke: thus the tape 4 cannot be further pulled from the reel 13, being arrested or spragged by the pawl. The tail of the pawl, seen at 218 is engageable by an abutment, conveniently a stop bar 21C, carried by the arm 17 so that during return (clockwise movement) of the arm 17, engagement thereof with the tail of the pawl causes withdrawal of the pawl nose from the strip on the plate and release of the strip, and so that when the arm 17 is down (fully clockwise) or has not completed a full stroke, the nose 21A is kept out of engagement with the strip.

There is scope for considerable elaboration. For example the whole roller 19 may be a date (or other cypher) stamp, and be associated with an inking roller carried by the arm 17. The arm 17, the roller 19, and associated parts, may be fashioned or provide for particular duties. For example, if on a conveyor the articles are considerably spaced apart, the machine can be set so that the roller 19 is just off the conveyor and the working stroke of the arm will apply a label at a minimal height; if the rear part of the articles exceeds that height then of course the whole machine yields, against spring 15, to accommodate it. If, however, the articles are (e.g.) loaves of wrapped bread they will probably be conveyed in contact. The machine is then set so that the arm 17 operates according to the distance between the maximum height of a loaf and some less height in the valley between two loaves. The machine is very adaptable in the manner of that example.

The whole of one side of the machine may be left open, for ease of changing reels 3 and 9 and threading the tape; in such case the various pins and fittings are made and interattached so as to be robustly rigid in cantilever manner with the plate 1. Or, a fixed or removable second structural member (e.g. a second plate) may be provided, which lends itself to a wellprotected and almost fully enclosed arrangement.

I claim:

1. A labelling machine for positioning adjacent to a conveyor and including a supply reel which carries an elongated strip of material having a plurality of labels affixed thereto by pressure-sensitive adhesive, the labels being spaced apart on one side of the strip and being .peelable in succession therefrom by bending the strip away from the labels, the conveyor transporting articles past the labelling machine so that the articles provide the motive power for the labelling machine comprising: 7

a support plate for pivotably supporting the supply reel;

a winding reel rotatably mounted on the support plate .and spaced apart from said supply reel, said winding reel including a unidirectional clutch for driving said winding reel;

a rocker arm pivotably mounted on one end of said plate;

an applicator mounted at the end of said rocker arm for engaging the articles on the conveyor;

a guide roller mounted on said rocker arm adjacent to said applicator, said guide roller defining a path between the supply reel and the winding reel that is variable in length by the pivoting movement of said rocker arm, said guide roller bending the label strip away from the label adjacent to the applicator;

bias means coupled between said plate and said rocker arm for biasing said arm in the path of articles on the conveyor;

connecting means coupling said rocker arm to said unidirectional clutch of said winding reel for pivoting said unidirectional clutch in response to the pivoting of said rocker arm about said support plate, the pivoting of the rocker arm about the support plate in the direction of the conveyed articles lengthening the paths between the supply and winding reels while the clutch locks the winding reel so that a length of the strip will be drawn off the supply reel, the strip moving about said guide roller to cause a label to peel from the strip and position itself between the applicator and the articles, the return pivoting of said rocker arm rotating said unidirectional clutch to drive said winding reel and take up the slack in the strip; and

pawl means pivotably mounted on said support plate adjacent to one end of said rocker arm and coupled to said rocker arm for engaging the strip in response to the pivotable movement of said rocker arm, said pawl means engaging the label strip between the spaced apart labels to stop further withdrawal of the strip from the supply reel after a single label has been dispensed onto the article.

2. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said pawl means further comprises a strip guide plate mounted on said support plate and disposed below said pawl means for supporting the label strip when it is engaged by said pawl means.

3. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said applicator comprises a roller pivotably mounted at the end of said rocker arm.

4. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said applicator is a plate mounted on the end of said rocker arm.

5. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 additionally comprising a bracket member pivotably coupled to said support plate and a tension spring coupled between said support plate and said bracket member.

6. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said bias means comprises a tension spring coupled between said support plate and the rocker 

1. A labelling machine for positioning adjacent to a conveyor and including a supply reel which carries an elongated strip of material having a plurality of labels affixed thereto by pressure-sensitive adhesive, the labels being spaced apart on one side of the strip and being peelable in succession therefrom by bending the strip away from the labels, the conveyor transporting articles past the labelling machine so that the articles provide the motive power for the labelling machine comprising: a support plate for pivotably supporting the supply reel; a winding reel rotatably mounted on the support plate and spaced apart from said supply reel, said winding reel including a unidirectional clutch for driving said winding reel; a rocker arm pivotably mounted on one end of said plate; an applicator mounted at the end of said rocker arm for engaging the articles on the conveyor; a guide roller mounted on said rocker arm adjacent to said applicator, said guide roller defining a path between the supply reel and the winding reel that is variable in length by the pivoting movement of said rocker arm, said guide roller bending the label strip away from the label adjacent to the applicator; bias means coupled between said plate and said rocker arm for biasing said arm in the path of articles on the conveyor; connecting means coupling said rocker arm to said unidirectional clutch of said winding reel for pivoting said unidirectional clutch in response to the pivoting of said rocker arm about said support plate, the pivoting of the rocker arm about the support plate in the direction of the conveyed articles lengthening the paths between the supply and winding reels while the clutch locks the winding reel so that a length of the strip will be drawn off the supply reel, the strip moving about said guide roller to cause a label to peel from the strip and position itself between the applicator and the articles, the return pivoting of said rocker arm rotating said unidirectional clutch to drive said winding reel and take up the slack in the strip; and pawl means Pivotably mounted on said support plate adjacent to one end of said rocker arm and coupled to said rocker arm for engaging the strip in response to the pivotable movement of said rocker arm, said pawl means engaging the label strip between the spaced apart labels to stop further withdrawal of the strip from the supply reel after a single label has been dispensed onto the article.
 2. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said pawl means further comprises a strip guide plate mounted on said support plate and disposed below said pawl means for supporting the label strip when it is engaged by said pawl means.
 3. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said applicator comprises a roller pivotably mounted at the end of said rocker arm.
 4. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said applicator is a plate mounted on the end of said rocker arm.
 5. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 additionally comprising a bracket member pivotably coupled to said support plate and a tension spring coupled between said support plate and said bracket member.
 6. The labelling machine as recited in claim 1 wherein said bias means comprises a tension spring coupled between said support plate and the rocker arm. 